Oral inhaler or applicator with sealing means



June 30, 1964 E. A. GALLEHER, JR 3,139,088

ORAL. INHALEIR OR APPLICATOR WITH SEALING MEANS Filed Jan. 17, 1961 IN VEN TOR. 24 /5 4 6411mm, .J

A 7'TORNE 7 United States Patent 3,139,088 ORAL INHALER 0R APPLICATOR WITH SEALING MEANS Ellis A. Galleher, Jr., Box 1750, Sarasota, Fla. Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,195 1 Claim. (Cl. 128-208) lvfy invention relates to inhalers or applicators for ad- IIllIllSlIBIlIlg a gas such as oxygen or an anesthetic orally to a patient without the necessity of employing a facial mask.

An object of the present invention is an extremely simple and inexpensive applicator of the type disclosed which consists primarily of an oral tube for connection w1th a source of the gas to be administered and having a portiondnsertable in the patients mouth, together with 11p sealing means on said portion to insure an effective seal against loss or leakage of the gas to the outside atmosphere.

A further object of this invention is a gas inhaler or applicator for use orally while the patients nasal passages are closed, the applicator having a gas inlet tube to be inserted directly into the patients mouth and sealing means on the tube adapted for sealing engagement with the patients lips, thereby to insure free delivery of a predetermined volume of gas to the oral passages.

Another object of the invention is an inhaler device of the type disclosed which eliminates the use of a face mask or similar device in administering a gas orally exclusively and thus affords means particularly desirable in the oral administration of such a gas to an edentulous patient or one who has become emaciated as a result of a long illness.

Another object of the invention is an oral inhaler and airway construction having sealing means slidable along the inhaler stern for sealing engagement with the lips of the patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide comfortable and effective lip sealing means to an oral inhaler device.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as the following description of the embodiments thereof progresses, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an oral inhaler illustrating one embodiment of my invention coupled with an airway and shown applied in use;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of a device shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the same;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical central section through the device shown in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical central section through a modified form of the invention.

This invention contemplates an inhaler device for the oral administration of oxygen and anesthetic gases or the like to the oral passages of a patient preferably while the nasal passages of the patient are closed to communication to the outside atmosphere and in further carrying out the invention to provide for a tube-like member having one end adapted for connection to a source of the gas to be administered and having a mouthpiece comprising a tubular portion extending from the member and insertable in the mouth of the patient and provided on its inner end with means whereby an airway may be attached to the mouthpiece. In addition, the invention also contemplates simple sealing means adjustable along the mouthpiece and engageable with the lips of the patient to provide an ice effective seal against escape of gas through the mouth to the outside atmosphere.

More specifically, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, the drawing illustrates one form of the invention which comprises an inhaler tube having a downwardly directed tube portion 5 for connection with a conduit (not shown) supplying oxygen or anesthetic gas from a source of supply. Formed integrally with the enlarged tubular portion 5 is a substantially horizontally disposed mouthpiece portion 6 having an opening or bore 7 communicating with the opening 8 of the tube 5 and terminating at its inner free end in an annular rib 9 having an internal seat 10 for receiving and detachably holding therein the beaded end 11 of the airway 12, as indicated more clearly in FIGURE 1. As shown in the drawing, the passageway or opening 7 in cross section is preferably in a flattened, generally rectangularly shaped form, as indicated in the rear view in FIGURE 3 and receives the similarly shaped end of the beaded end of the airway in sealed relation.

In order to prevent the escape of gas to the outside atmosphere during oral administration, I provide lip sealing means slidably mounted on the stem or mouthpiece 6 for sealing contact with the patients lips.

In FIGURES 1-4, inclusive, I have shown a pair of such lip sealing plates constituting the inner plate 13 and a spaced apart outer plate 14. These plat-es are generally concave-convex in form, the outer convex surface 15 of the plate 13 having sealing engagement with the inner surfaces of the patients upper and lower lips, while the inner concave surface 16 of the plate 14 has sealing contact with the outer surfaces of the patients lips, when these plates are adjusted along the mouthpiece to engage the lips as shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 4 the plate 14 is shown in an inwardly adjusted position on the mouthpiece in broken lines and in its outermost position in solid lines.

The plates 13 and 14, respectively, underlie and overlie substantially the entire lip area defining the mouth opening and, being shaped to conform to the natural contour of the gums, and formed of a flexible resilient material such as rubber or rubber compounds, are comfortable to wear and provide an excellent sealing means.

The inner plate 13 is normally positioned on the stem 6 in abutting relation with the rib 9 which limits its movemerit toward the inner end of the mouthpiece stem 6, and in each position forms a firm support for the lips which are placed in the space between the plates 13 and 14 and in contact with the stem 6. When the lips are in this position, the outer plate 14 is adjusted to the left in FIGURE 4 to press against the lips, thus sealing the mouth and alfording an unobstructed passageway through the openings 8 and 7 through which a gas may be administered orally to the patient.

A head strap or band 20 may be attached to the inhaler by suitable fastening means at 21 in order to support the inhaler while in use. The nasal passages may be blocked during oral administration of a gas by means of a plug 22 or other means closing the nares.

In FIGURE 5 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention in which a snugly sealing plate 14' is slidably mounted on the mouthpiece stem 6. In this simplified construction the patients gums embrace the stem 6 and engage the concave surface 16 while the lips overlie the outer convex surface 17 of the plate 14.

The plates 13 and 14 and 14 have frictional sliding movement along the stem 6 and while they may be effectively adjusted thereon, they will remain in such position under ordinary administering conditions, thus insuring an effective seal with the patients lips in use.

Various changes may be made in the details of construcarse,

tion and arrangement of parts of the invention without vdeparting from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim: In an oral inhaler device for edentulous patients, a tubular body comprising a gas inlet portion and an integral I hollow mouthpiece stem communicating with said inlet and terminating at its inner end in an enlarged portion, and a pair of independent spaced apart human lip engaging sealing members, each member being freely and manually slidable and frictionally supported on said stem to receive the wearers lips therebetween, the innermost sealing member being limited in its sliding movement along the stem in one direction by said enlarged portion,

said members comprising an inner plate and an outer plate, 15

respectively, of substantially concave-convex contour and 0&3

having relatively large surface areas for sealing contact with the inner and outer surface areas of the wearers lips, respectively, when the same are positioned therebetween and said members are manually pressed against the lips by the application of manual pressure inwardly against said outer plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,504 Miller Mar. 18, 1952 72,669,988 Carpenter Feb. 23, 1954 2,693,182 Phillips NOV. 2, 1954 2,857,911 Bennett Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,351 Italy May 5, 1958 

